Nearly 300 teens flock to Huntsville to lend a helping hand

HUNTSVILLE, AL. - Huntsville native Lelia White, 82, has lived at her house on North Nevel Circle since 1965, but like most dwellings that sustain the South's grueling temperatures and unpredictable weather conditions, it requires essential home improvements from time to time.

In White's case, her water-damaged and rotten-wood roof would cost nearly $8,000 to repair - a price far beyond her income.

"As we were assessing the roof damage, a couple of us fell through the roof," said 16-year-old Nathan Hoskins of Owensboro, Ky. "I fell through one time up to my waist."

However, White's roofing predicament is being solved this week by a crew of 12 teenagers from World Changers, a national summer initiative of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Almost 300 teenagers from across the nation have flocked to Huntsville for one week with a goal of completing 20 home repair sites that include carpentry work, roofing and painting.

Working from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for one week straight, these students plan to complete their goal of 12 roofing jobs and eight vinyl siding jobs by Friday in Huntsville's northwest community.

"First and foremost, we want to show other people that they can come together from all over the world and help change lives because it's an amazing feeling," said 16-year-old Dominic Julian of Columbus, Ohio. "If the chance does come up for anyone, don't pass it up," the veteran volunteer added.

The crew will nail sheets of plywood across the roof and then overlap it with a material to reduce further water damage. Then they will nail down the shingles.

After participating in World Changers since she was in high school, 21-year-old Daphne Davies of Houston - a recent college graduate - now volunteers as a mission communication specialist for the program.

"As a high school student, I enjoyed my one week every summer volunteering," Davies said. "Now I really like to see the work these kids are accomplishing and seeing how they are making an impact in the community."